Wednesday 7th June, 2017                      1230

Monday morning I went to wait for the school bus and when I arrived at the pick-up point, I was surprised to see who I thought was the Russian girl I had met in the vegetable market previously. She was on the phone.

Determined to remedy my prior dereliction in introducing myself the first time, I waited until she finished her call and then exchanged names with her. She is Ariana, except she wasn’t the girl I met previously even though there was a passing resemblance. She is the first person I have ever met from Moldova (from her accent I guessed perhaps Romanian and clearly impressed her because it adjoins Moldova) and as she had a suitcase with her I guessed she was travelling somewhere. She was going with some Chinese friends to Sichuan on a four day jolly and hot, spicy food notwithstanding, I had a momentary urge to take a brisk walk home, pack a case and clutter off with them! It turned out she wasn’t a teacher as I thought but a student! I never had chance to find out anything further as my bus arrived and I had to take my leave. I do know she lives on the campus next to my home so who know, I may see her again?

The bloody computer in the classroom played up all day, the problem with the soundtrack cutting in and out had returned and the engineer wasn’t on campus to sort it. I persevered with showing half a film to each class anyway, purely as we only have just enough time to show them one last movie.

In the afternoon class though, it suddenly became rather dark outside, the precursor to a violent, albeit brief, thunderstorm. When this occurred I suddenly had half a dozen students asking to be excused in a hurry. They had left their washing out to dry! Thankfully although it was still spitting when the bus left for home, it had stopped by the time I needed to get off - I had neglected to bring my new umbrella as the forecast never mentioned any wet stuff that day. Sadly my mint, whose pot is outside in the window cage but not in any direct line of fire from rain, clearly took a hammering from raindrops. Unless the others recover I am now down to a mere two shoots from all those seeds. If they fail then I shall buy another packet and start afresh but with the big pot and keep the blessed things indoors.

Yesterday I went to the mail room to collect a confirmation letter that the second set of pension papers I sent to the UK had been received. I still don’t know for certain what I shall receive each month but unfortunately they did inform me that until they receive a tax code from HMRC I will be taxed at the basic rate. HMRC have yet to respond to my email sent about 10 days ago.

Yesterday Mulan called me, the first communication with her since a chance meeting outside my classroom in Chizhou a year ago. Long term readers may recall her boyfriend sending me threatening texts and severing a cable on my e-bike. She is now teaching kids in Tongling whilst still studying in Chizhou and wanted my ideas for games to play in class. No matter what she or her boyfriend have done, I cannot forget her and her siblings’ kindness after I broke my pelvis and foot when she hurried to my side on new years day and between them set up a rota to look after me. I would however, happily garrotte the boyfriend - if she is still with him. Or not.

Last night Georgina asked me if I would be interested in proof-reading dissertations. It is that time of year when graduates have to submit and defend their theses in order to be awarded their degree. Well as it happens yes I would be very interested seeing as the work from the translation company has evaporated. I asked how much it paid.

She told me normally it was 600y per 1,000 words! Most assuredly I am interested! I checked that all I would be expected to do was turn Chinglish into English and not have to translate or rewrite anything and then pointed out that each dissertation would cost the undergraduate between six and nine thousand yuan. I fully expected her to say she had made a mistake on the figures but she didn’t. I rather hope I get a few at that price but I won’t hold my breath, I have been disappointed many times in the past in China. If it happens it will be a bonus provided I actually get paid.

Ah well, time to go and get my shopping. Methinks a hearty pork stew for tonight and tomorrow I will be naughty and make bread pudding to take for my lunch on Friday.

1430

Nice warm day outside and I took a taxi both ways, it must be my lucky day because both ways I got quite an attractive cabbie. I got everything I needed for my stew and bread pudding and then went over the top. I bought some frozen, battered squid rings. Well, now I have a fryer I can do them! The only problem is, the fryer is too small for me to do them with chips, although as squid only takes a minute I suppose I could cook the chips and then rapidly do the squid. I do miss having students to invite for a casual dinner, my cooking is becoming repetitive as I don’t have a great deal of room in my freezer to make anything large. It’s still full of cottage pies.